Tuesday’s Headlines Explain Why Streets Aren’t Safe

Poor street design, gentrification and the trend toward bigger, heavier cars are all contributing to the rise in pedestrian deaths, according to author Jessie Singer.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EDT on July 25, 2023

Simply painting a bike lane here wouldn’t help much.

|Google Maps

Slate interviews author Jessie Singer about why U.S. streets are getting more dangerous for pedestrians. Hint: bigger cars and people who can't afford cars being pushed out into auto-centric suburbs.
Electric vehicles might eliminate tailpipe emissions, but their tires are sending more toxic particles into the air. (The Atlantic)
The Biden administration distributed $20 million in transit planning grants to 47 communities with persistently high poverty. (Roads & Bridges)
Contrary to what one San Francisco alderman says, bike lanes don't cause pollution. (Outside. Streetsblog CAL)
Frustration with the Portland Bureau of Transportation is growing after a week in which drivers killed eight people. (Bike Portland)
The Houston Metro is moving ahead with expansion despite lackluster sales tax revenue projections. (Chronicle)
Phoenix is considering reducing the minimum parking spaces required at apartment complexes. (AZ Family)
Washington, D.C. started Monday using bus-mounted cameras to catch drivers in bus-only lanes. (DC News Now)
Protected bike lanes are coming to Pittsburgh's Penn Avenue. (Tribune-Review)
A WBUR podcast discusses how to make Boston streets safer.
The weather is so hot in Arizona that people are getting burned by sidewalks. (WPTV)
After Germany started selling a cheap unlimited train ticket, train rides rose 27 percent while car trips fell by 100,000 a month. (City Lab)
Montreal safety advocates created a human bike path on Parc Avenue, where two cyclists have been killed in the past 10 years. (Gazette)